Upcoming pension changes support more flexible working for retired NHS staff

Midwives who retire but still want to do some NHS work will benefit from NHS pension scheme rule changes from 1 April 2023. The changes affect those who have 1995 pension scheme section benefits. From 1 April those who are retired can return to employment and build up further pension benefits in the 2015 Scheme. […]

RCM calls on England members to record unpaid hours and staffing levels in quick survey

Overstretched and under-resourced maternity services are putting enormous pressures on midwives and maternity support workers (MSW) as they strive to deliver safe care says the Royal College of Midwives (RCM). This is leaving many burnt-out and exhausted. The RCM wants to capture a true picture of those efforts to go over and above to ensure […]

RCM asks for members’ support in developing a national picture of perinatal mental health support

The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) is asking midwives and maternity support workers across the UK to help develop its perinatal mental health strategy. The RCM wants to get a sense of perinatal mental health support across different areas, regions and nations as it draws up a new strategy to inform and influence the debate […]

RCM calls on members to sign and send a letter to the Prime Minister calling for better pay

Health unions, including the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), are calling on their members to sign and send a letter to the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The letter calls for Rishi Sunak to meet with health unions to resolve the current pay disputes in England and across the UK. The ready-made letter, that RCM members […]

More midwives needed to support women with infant feeding choices says RCM

Women need better support to make infant feeding choices and that means addressing the serious midwife shortage. That’s the view of the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) responding to a Lancet series on formula milk advertising published today. Formula milk marketing tactics are exploitative and regulations need to be urgently strengthened and properly implemented, according […]

ORCHID Annual Research Study Day 2023

It’s time for ORCHID’s next Annual Study Day, titled ‘Navigating the choppy waters of research’. ‘The day is free, open to everyone interested in healthcare research and will be run on zoom. We have some fabulous outside speakers coming to present on; how to succeed at research, using creative and innovative methods in research, utilising […]

MASIC Webinar: Childbirth Injury: How is this Managed in Primary Care?

The MASIC Foundation is hosting a multidisciplinary webinar with leading speakers, reflecting the diverse professional roles required to co-ordinate and deliver effective evidence based and individualised care for women who have experienced Obstetric Anal Sphincter Injuries (OASI), pelvic floor injuries and their consequences. The conversation will cover questions such as: How is a childbirth injury […]

RCM Chief Exec calls out Government for starving the NHS of resources

The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has criticised the Government for its latest derisory pay offer, stating that ‘they are not on the side of working people.’ Speaking at a TUC rally in Westminster yesterday (2 November), RCM Chief Executive Gill Walton strongly condemned the Government, saying that ‘they have attacked pay, pensions, protections at […]

‘Fix crisis in midwifery staffing now’ says the RCM

The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has called on the Scottish Government to take urgent action on the midwifery staffing crisis. Speaking at the Scottish Trade Union Congress (STUC), the RCM said that it was vital that the Government to act now to improve retention and recruitment of midwives. Scotland like the rest of the […]

Supporting activists to reach more members in RCM pay ballot

The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) is using the power of peer-to-peer communication to enable its workplace reps and pay activists to engage members in the upcoming England and Wales pay ballot opening on 11 November. One of the key ways to engage members is through one-to-one conversations in person, but this has limits in […]